Mail-bag fastening.



No. 760,034. PATENTED MAY 1'7, 1904.

' C. B. STEVENS.

MAIL BAG PASTENING.

APPLIATION FILED FEBA 20, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

MAIL-BAG FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 760,034, dated May 1'?, 1904.

` Application filed February 20, 1904. Serial No. 194.561. (No model.)

To all 'wh/011i, t may concern: i Be it known that I, CHARLES B. STEVENS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of" Cumberland, Guernsey county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MailBag Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improvement in mail-bag fastenings, and has for its object to provide a strong and durable means for closing the'mouth of a mail bag or sackand one that will be fiexible and of minimum thickness.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is; a face view of the upper end of a mail-sack provided with a fastening means embodying this invention, the bag being closed and locked. Fig. 2 is a view showing the bag unlocked and the cover-flap raised. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Figs.`5, 6, and 7 illustrate details.

Referring to the drawings, on which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the 'several figures, 1 designates the body of a mail bag or sack, which may be of any suitable-size and material. The bag or sack represented in the drawings is of the style commonly in use, having` a body portion of canvas or similar material, reinforced about the mouth or opening by a strip of leather, and provided with a Hap 2, by which the said mouth may be closed. To the Hap 2 are secured a plurality of plates 3, each provided withtwo projecting lugs 4, the free ends of which are bent inwardly toward each other, whereby a passage oropening of rectangular form in cross-section is provided between the bodies of the lugs and the plate to which they are secured or between said lugs and a bar connecting their rear ends and itself attached to the plate 3. The said plates 8, which carry the lugs 4, that constitute one' member of the improved fastening means, are lpreferably united by rivets 5 to suitable plates 6, arranged on the outer face or surface of the liap 2. They may, however, be rigidly secured to the said Hap' by any suitable means.

:In opposite sides of the bag or sack, adjacent. the mouth thereof, are formed a series of apertures or slots 15, through which the lugs 4 on the plates 3 extend when the Hap 2 is turned into position to close said mouth, as shown in Fig. 2. To the inner face of one section of the bag near the mouth of the bag or sack, between the aforesaid slots or openings therein, are secured a series of tubular guides 7. As shown, these are preferably formed of suitable leather strips attached by stitching to the bag and extending from one side thereof to the other, being separated by the said slots or openings provided for the lugs 4.

Through said guides 7 extends the other member of the fastening device, which is a'band formed by a series of flexible plates 8, pivot ally connected to intermediate bars or links 9.

The guides 7 have a cross-sectional form corp responding to that of the passages formed by the lugs 4, and when the iiap 2 is in the closed position (illustrated in Fig. 3) said guides are in alinement with the passages formed byl said lugs. Thevplates 8, which are of such sizeA as to pass freely through the said guides 7 and passages between the lugs 4 are preferably formed of a body 10, of leather or other iexi` and has its ends bent over and suitably secured y `to the opposite face by means of rivets 1Q. The said reinforcing-strip is of greater length than the iiexi'ble body of the plate to which it is attached, so that there is provided beyond each end of said plate a tubular bearing into which project the ends of the pivot pin or pintle 13, by which the links are connected to said plates.

The free ends of the lugs 4 on the plates attached to the flap 2, which as stated above and as shown, are bent inwardly towardeach other, ar` separated a distance suflicient to permit the links 9 to freely pass to and from 'the passage formed between said lugs, and

when the bag is to be opened or closed said links are adjusted into a position in alinement IOO with the said openings 14 or caused to extend across the slots or apertures 15, formed in the bag.

The operation and advantages of the hereinbefore-described fastening device will be readily understood. open or close a bag or sack provided with a fastening device constructed in accordance with this invention, the links 9 are brought into position to extend across the slots 15 in the walls of the bag and into alinement with the passages 14 between the free ends of the lugs 4 on the plates 3, attached to the iiap. Movement of the said links and the flexible plates which they connect is effected by means of lug 16, attached to one of the plates 8 and projecting through a slot in the body of the bag. This lug 16 is preferably made in the form of a staple, as shown, and when the bag is closed is engaged by a hasp 17. This can be secured by a suitable padlock. The parts being thus arranged, the flap 2 is readily turned into the position shown in Fig. 2 after the hasp is swung into inoperative position if the bag has been previously closed, thus withdrawing the lugs 4 from the slots 15 and opening the bag. To close the bag, the flap 2 is brought into the position shown in Fig. 3, the lugs 4 thereon passing freely through the slots 15 and on opposite sides of the links 9. By a slight pull or push on the lug 16 the links 9 will be moved into the guides 7 and the plates 8 into the rectangular passages formed between the lugs 4, in which position' they will prevent the withdrawal of said lugs from the slots 15, as shown in Fig. 3. The hasp 17 can then be engaged with the lug 16 and secured by a padlock in the usual manner.

It will be noticed that the fastening device occupies a comparatively small space, the free ends of the lugs 4 projecting but slightly beyond the outer face of the bag. This is one of the important advantages incident to the present invention-namely, by it the thickness of the bag adjacent the mouth is maintained relatively fiat.l Also the pivotal connection of the links 9 and plates 8 and the flexible nature of said plates provides a very iiexible fastening which will readily conform to whatever shape the mouth o'f the bag may assume.

The fastening is very simple and durable in construction. The metal facings 11 of the plates 8 receive any pressure that may be transmitted from the lugs 4 and prevent any wearing of the body of said plates.

Instead of forming the plates of the locking-band in the manner before described they may, as illustrated in Fig. 6, be formed from a single blank 18 of any suitable material the ends of which are bent upon the b ody to form the tubular bearings for the pintles 13.

Longitudinal movement of the flexible fastening-band is limited not only by engagement of the stud 16 with the ends of the slot through which it extends; but the end plates When it is desired toY of said band may` as shown, be provided with laterally-projecting stops which are adapted to have a limited movement in the end guides 7.

Having thus described-the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is#

1. The combination of a mail bag or sack having a plurality of slots or apertures formed therein adjacent its mouth, a plurality of pairs of lugs rigidly attached to the bag and each adapted to extend across the mouth thereof and through one of the said apertures, each pair of lugs forming a passage, rectangular in cross-section, and having the free ends of its members separated to an extent less than that separating the bodies thereof, a locking-band attached to the bag and movable transversely of the said apertures or slots therein` and through the rectangular passages formed between said lugs, and composed of alternatelyarranged, pivotally-connected, links and flat plates, the links being of such size and form as topass freely through the spaces between the members of each pair of lugs and the plates being movable through the said rectangular passages and adapted when moved into said passages to engage the lugs and prevent their withdrawal from the slots in the bag, and means for securing the band against movement when the plates thereof are so cngaged with the lugs.

2. The combination of a mail bag or sack having a plurality of alined slots or apertures formed in opposite sides thereof adjacent its mouth, a flap adapted to cover said mouth and provided on its inner face with a plurality of lugs, arranged in pairs, each pair being adapted to pass through alined slots in the bag when the iiap is in position to close the mouth, and each pair forming a passage rectangular in cross -section, a lockingband adapted to extend through said passages, formed by the lugs on the cover-flap, within the bag to prevent withdrawal of the lugs from the slots in the bag, said band being composed of a plurality of pivotally-connected plates formed of flexible material strengthened by metal strips, and means for securing the band in position to engage said lugs as aforesaid.

3. The combination of a mail bag or sack having a plurality of slots or apertures formed therein adjacent its mouth, a plurality of pairs of lugs rigidly attached to the bag and each adapted to extend across the mouth thereof and through one of the said apertures, each pair of lugs forming a passage, rectangular in cross-section, and having the free ends of its members separated to an extent less than that separating the bodies thereof, a lockingband attached to the bag and movable transversely of the said apertures or slots therein, and through the rectangular passages formed between said lugs, and composed of alternatelyarranged, pivotally-connected, links andflat IIO plates, the links being of such size and form as to pass freely through the spaces between the members of each pair of lugs and the plates being' formed of a flexible body, and a metal strip whichextends along one face of said body and projects beyond the ends there of, the said links being pivotally connected to the projecting portions of said strip, the plates being adapted, when the band is properly adjusted, to engage the lugs and prevent their withdrawal from the slots in the bag, and means for securing the band in position when it is thus in engagement with the lugs.

1i. The combination, in a fastening device, of a series of plates attached to one part of the article to be fastened, each plate being provided with a pair of projecting lugs the free ends of which are separated to an extent less thanare the bodies of the lugs, a longitudinally-movable flexible band connected to the other part of the article to be fastened and composed of a series of plates each formed of a body of flexible material and a metal plate extending along one face of said body and provided at both ends with tubular bearings, links arranged between said plates and connected thereto by pivot pins or pintles that extend into said tubular bearings, said links being adapted to pass between the free ends of each pair of lugs and the plates being adapted, when the band is properly adjusted, to engage said lugs and thus hold the two parts of the article to be fastened together, and meansfor securing the band in position to so engage said lugs.

5. The combination in a fastening, of a plurality of pairs of lugs attached to one part of .the article to be fastened, and a longitudinallymovable flexible band supported by a series u CHARLES B. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. BRYANT, HUGH M. STERLING. 

